Month: July 2015

She was studying abroad in France in 2012 when she saw that Shout PR, a retail and lifestyle marketing firm, had blogged and tweeted about a healthier alternative to the beloved hazelnut spread. Alvarez tweeted about the article and thanked the firm for posting it, and she later mentioned that Twitter conversation when she emailed the company about summer internships.

Shout had her come for an interview two days after she got back to the U.S. — and it hired her as an intern.

“Because of the way I reached out, they took a look at my social media profile,” said Alvarez, now an account executive at the communications agency Bite. “I interviewed with the person who had written the blog post, and she was very excited that I’d been engaging with her content.”

It’s easy to get overwhelmed by the barrage of Twitter noise — and to favor LinkedIn instead as a professional social media tool. But if you don’t look closely at Twitter, you could be missing out on some crucial job and networking opportunities.

Twitter offers a strong network of people in various fields, and companies and hiring managers are increasingly sharing open positions on their accounts.

“It offers less structure as a job search tool, but more opportunities to connect with people,” said Pamela Skillings, an interview coach and founder of Big Interview, a job coaching program. “You can stumble on an opportunity that you might not otherwise find.”

Here are some tips to get the most out of your Twitter job hunt:

1) Spruce up your profile

First, think of your Twitter profile as your brand: Include an identifiable photo, so recruiters recognize who you are.

And don’t underestimate that bio under your picture. “Your bio is your elevator pitch,” said Alyson Weiss, a social media coach. “It’s your first chance to make an impression before people decide to click on you.”

In addition, Skillings recommends including your Twitter handle on your resume. “You’re giving people the ability to find you, and it shows a level of transparency.”

4) Use search tools

You can use Twitter’s built-in search bar for job openings: Type in a location, “hiring” and seniority level (like “entry level” or “director”), and you’ll likely see tweets about open positions in your desired area.

There are also job search engines specifically for Twitter, like Tweetmyjobs.com, which allows users to add in filters by location, industry and keyword.

Hiring managers are more frequently combing Twitter for applicants, particularly in fields where social media acumen might be considered a qualification for a job, like in HR and communications. Other industries — like nonprofits and academia — are starting to boost their Twitter presence too, Skillings said.

Charlie Loyd, who creates cloudless satellite imagery at Mapbox, found his job after tweeting at five mapping companies and including a link to his portfolio. Mapbox responded in three minutes.

“I was frustrated, and I wanted to get this in front of someone,” Loyd said. “And there was no formal submission process for, ‘Hey, I’m doing work that you haven’t done before.'”

An interview can be extremely nerve-wracking. Why? Because you’re simply being judged. The fate of your future relies on how you come across to an employer/interviewer.

There are so many interview prep tips out there; let’s cover the most important four.

#1 – Being Nervous Is Good, But Being Too Nervous Isn’t

You need to relax as much as possible (easier said than done) and take a confident approach – being a nervous wreck doesn’t show the interviewer your true personality.

On the other hand, there’s a fine line between confidence and arrogance, so be careful. Think about what you’re saying and don’t be too be too confident, as it’s irritating and cocky. Try and answer questions honestly, and be yourself (you’ll hear that a lot), don’t be too robotic.

#3 – Do Some Background Research On The Company

Common interview questions employers like to ask are, “What do you know about the company?” or, “What do you know about this particular role?” Having a good background on the company lets them know how enthusiastic you are and how keen you are to get the placement.

Being able to talk about your knowledge of the company and the role in particular will impress the interviewer and could give you competitive edge over other applicants. Ideally, you should have knowledge on the company’s history, all aspects of the role, problems encountered with the role, and so on.

Are you wondering what an interviewer looks for during an interview, or what you should do to get him to like you? Is there some secret to figuring out if the interview is going well or something else you can do to insure that it does?

While you’re in the interview hot seat watching for clues from your interviewer, he or she is busy watching you – looking for their own clues. Interviewers look for things they want to hear in your answers, or ways you handle yourself during the interview, or simply some sign that shows them what you might be like if you worked for them.

So I thought it might help you to know what kinds of things I specifically look for, and what I want to hear when I interview job candidates:

Do you actually answer the questions I ask?

But when it comes to the interview itself, listen carefully in the moment and answer the actual questions asked. I’ve had people come to interviews so overly prepared with canned answers that they try to use their memorized answers even if it’s not exactly what was asked.

So listen to the whole question and respond naturally. If you jump ahead to practice your answer in your head while the interviewer is still talking, that’s a big turnoff. Trust yourself and find your own words. Be conversational. It will help you connect with the interviewer, which is what you want to do

Are you showing me your real self?

Whether you’re using canned answers or spontaneous answers, are you telling me what you think I want you to say or the real story based on who you are and the experiences you’ve had so far? You want to come to the interview 100% familiar with how you match the job.

I’ve had job candidates giving me only the part they think I want to see, and they come off phony or one-dimensional. And they just don’t connect well with me or the other interviewers. If I think there’s enough there, I try other ways to get them to open up to us, but many interviewers won’t go that far.

Do you understand the job you’re interviewing for?

This may seem so obvious, but I’ve interviewed people who didn’t seem to know what the job entailed, even though they applied for it. Of course, you can’t know everything about it.

Asking what the job is like on a daily basis is a valid question for you to ask at the end of the interview. But at the very least review the job description and look up anything you aren’t completely familiar with.

Searching for a new job is almost a full-time job, as it takes hard work, time and commitment to succeed. So the last thing you want to do is to send out hundreds of resumes and wait for a reply that may never come, so it’s important that you are organised and know how to go about your search. In today’s fiercely competitive market, you need to have a strategic plan for your job search before you actually begin the search, from where to look, to identifying the specific kind of roles you want to apply for. Here are 7 steps that should follow when planning your job search.

1. Ask yourself why you are looking for a new job.

Are you looking for a new job because you hate your current field of work? Or is it because you have become so good at your job that you no longer feel challenged in the role you are currently in and need to step up and find something more stimulating.

5. Set aside time to do the search.

Don’t “find time” for job searching, make time! Set aside a couple of hours a day for job searching and make sure it is your sole focus for that time. Make it your “job”.

7. Practice your interview techniques.

Even though you haven’t been granted an interview yet, you should be prepared. List out some of the common interview questions and practice, practice, and practice! This way when you are invited for an interview you feel confident and ready to impress!

They meet more people in an afternoon than most of us do in a year. But what faux pas do human resources pros see again and again during the interview process?

We picked the brains of two high-profile executives to find out what you definitely shouldn’t say—and what they secretly think of your resume. (One was so brutally honest about her just-don’t-do-this advice that she preferred to remain anonymous.)

“Talking over your interviewer is the biggest mistake that interview candidates don’t realize they’re making,” says Stacey Hawley, a career and leadership development coach and compensation specialist. “This is usually from nervousness, but as a result, the candidates outtalk the interviewer and don’t engage in active listening.”

Amy Michaels (name has been changed), a human resources director at a high-tech firm in New York City, agrees: “The inability to listen is huge. That person who’s always trying to have the exact right answer, but can’t stop talking? He or she ultimately won’t be a success.”

Instead, listen up and watch more subtle clues—like your interviewer’s body language. If she’s shifting back and forth or clearing her throat, it’s time to let her get to the next question.

2. Bad-Mouthing Your Ex (Job)

While it may seem like a no-brainer, putting down your current employer happens all too often, says Michaels, perhaps because the bad feelings are still fresh. If you’re tempted to trash your present company, stop right there.

“When I ask why you’re leaving a place, I don’t want to hear you gripe about your current manager or badmouth your situation,” she says. “Be creative enough to come up with a tactful reason as to why you’re leaving. Otherwise, to me, that’s a huge red flag that you’re not mature enough to know not to do it. Not to mention that it makes me nervous about how tactful you’re going to be externally if I hire you.”

3. Not Acknowledging Your Mistakes

While one minor transgression may not deep-six your prospects of landing the job, you should still acknowledge it and move on, says Michaels. Hawley will also pardon small errors: “Mistakes are OK and acceptable. No one is perfect—or needs to be.”

The bigger red flag, both say, is someone who can’t admit their missteps. “The people who make me nuts just act like being late never happened,” says Michaels. “If you make a mistake, own up to it.”

4. Neglecting Your Cover Letter

Our experts were adamant about this. “To be honest, I don’t read objectives, and I don’t care if you fence,” says Michaels. “But I do read cover letters.” Hawley agrees: “Absolutely write a cover letter. It’s an opportunity to highlight your understanding of the business, and what you can do for the bottom line.”

And, even in the digital age, there’s no excuse for a quickly dashed-off email—take the time to compose it with care. “Demonstrate your knowledge of the company,” says Hawley. “And link your past achievements to the position, showing how you can contribute to their future success.” That, she says, will always make a candidate stand out.

In this article, I am going to demonstrate the mechanics of a well written cover letter. I hope this provides some knowledge about the parts of a cover letter, and enables you to generate interest from a hiring manager.

1. The Salutation (The Hello)

Get a name, any name. By hook or by crook try to get a name. Sometimes you can’t – then try To whom it may concern or Dear hiring manager.

Dear Hiring Manager:

2. The Opening (The Grab)

Your opening paragraph is your introduction and presents the reader with some immediate and focused information regarding the position you are pursuing and a few core competencies that demonstrate your strength:

Having contributed as an operations and general business leader, I am writing to express my interest in [Name of Position] with [Name of Company]. You will see on the enclosed resume I turned around an under-performing business, substantially improved productivity and employee morale, and possess critical and creative thinking skills that will facilitate my swift contribution to your sustained growth.